Can I skip the mash out replacing it by sparging?It's my understanding that you mashout to bring the entire mash bed up to 168 so that sugars are more easily run off. By not mashing out you should get a lower efficiency. Also if you are are using a high water-to-grist ratio, say .5 qts per lb, it takes quite a while to get back down to the grain bed, all the while the mash is cooling. Then it takes very hot sparge water to raise the bed up over 160. Jeff, how does the brewery handle this? What's their efficiency?

Can I condition in growlers?When a brewery packages in a growler, the beer has finished fermention, it may have been filtered and then it's force carbonated to a specifical level which is controlled by the brewer. You can do this by force carbonating in a Keg then filling a groller from your tap. The danger comes from unexpected fermention. Maybe the yeast didn't finish attenuating, or slightly too much sugar was used, or you used DME, honey instead of corn sugar, or the beer got slightly infected. Or your priming sugar wasn't mixed well enough. homebrewtalk.com/f35/growler-goes-boom-63121

Mar8

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At what temperature should a lager be fermented?I wait a couple of days then start checking the gravity everyday until it reaches 60%. (takes between 4-7 days) I use a refractometer, I take about a 2oz sample or so,that way I can taste the sample as well. I have a smalled fridge with a temperature controller on it, I use this for primary fermention and bringing the beer to lager temp. Once it't at 35F I move it down to my lagering chamber. After the diacetyl rest I'll check the gravity too.

Taste Test for Stale BeerI had a brewdog beer last night. I assume it was shipped on a freightor. The Best by date is tomorrow. That beer was stale. Just lifeless. You could just miss treat an IPA as you bottle it, get some oxygen in there. It'll taste stale after a few months.